The present invention relates to a method for preparing a panel (windowpane) with a resinous frame, which is suited for a window opening of a vehicle or a building.
Windowpanes, which are fitted into the window openings of vehicles or buildings, have usually had the following structure. The structure is one wherein a panel (windowpane, hereinbelow referred to as the pane), such as a glass sheet and a plastic sheet, has a peripheral portion fitted with a resinous frame, such as a molded member or a gasket of synthetic resin, to improve ornamentality or sealing properties. The pane that has the peripheral portion fitted with a resinous frame is called a windowpane with a resinous frame.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a conventional apparatus employed in a method for preparing a windowpane with a resinous frame, FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing how a shaped product is introduced into the pressing member shown in FIG. 10, and FIG. 12 is a sectional view as seen from the direction indicated by arrows of XIIxe2x80x94XII of FIG. 11. In these Figures, reference numeral 1 designates an extruder, and reference numeral 2 designates a shaping die, which is attached to the leading edge of the extruder 1, and which extrudes a resinous material for a frame in a certain cross-sectional shape to form a shaped product 3 as a frame. Reference numeral 4 designates the pressing member, which is provided at a position apart from the shaping die 2 by a certain distance, and reference numeral 5 designates a pair of upper and lower slit plates, which are provided on an insertion side of the pressing member 4 for the shaped product 3. The slit plates 5 are ones that serve to expand the opening of a biting portion 3a of the shaped product 3 so that a pane 7 sucked and supported by an operating robot 6 can easily have a peripheral portion bit into the biting portion 3a. 
The pressing member 4 includes a hollow portion 4a for passing the shaped product 3 therethrough and a pane insertion slit 4b for receiving the peripheral portion of the pane 7. The sectional shape of the hollow portion 4a substantially conforms to the sectional shape of a frame 8, which is provided by fitting the shaped product 3 on the peripheral portion of the pane 7. The pressing member 4 is supported by a spring 9a coupled to an upper portion thereof and a spring 9b coupled to a lower portion thereof. On a side of the pressing member 4 close to the pane insertion slit 4b, an upper horizontal roller 10 and a lower horizontal roller 11 are rotatably provided at upper and lower positions so as to sandwich the pane insertion slit 4b therebetween. The lowermost position of a rotating surface 10a of the upper horizontal roller 10 as a reference surface is located so as to project slightly downwardly from an upper end surface of the pane insertion slit 4b. 
The preparation of a windowpane with a resinous frame by this apparatus is carried out in the following procedure. The shaping die 2, which is attached to the leading edge of the extruder 1, extrudes a resinous material for a frame in a certain cross-sectional shape to form the shaped product 3. The shaped product 3 travels toward the pressing member 4 by being pulled by a pulling device (not shown). The shaped product 3 is introduced into the hollow portion 4a of the pressing member 4 and passed through the hollow portion 4a, having the biting portion 3a expanded by the slit plates 5. At the time, the pane 7 is waiting at a certain location, being supported by the operating robot 6 at rest.
Then, the operating robot 6, which has been instructed on a travel path, operates, starting the movement of the pane 7. The pane 7 is introduced into the pane insertion slit 4b of the pressing member 4 through between the upper horizontal roller 10 and the lower horizontal roller 11, being guided by the upper horizontal roller 10 and the lower horizontal roller 11. The pane 7 is moved so that the pressing member 4 relatively moves along the peripheral portion of the pane 7. While the pane 7 is guided by the upper horizontal roller 10 and the lower horizontal roller 11, the pane is introduced and bitten through the pane insertion slit 4b into the biting portion 3a of the shaped product 3, which is passing through the hollow portion 4a. Thus, the shaped product 3 is forcibly fitted to the peripheral portion of the pane 7 by the pressing member 4, being unified with the pane 7 as the frame 8.
In the method for preparing a windowpane with a resinous frame as stated earlier, the pressing member 4 is supported by the springs 9a, 9b. If the peripheral portion of the pane 7 is not located at a certain position with respect to the upper horizontal roller 10 and the lower horizontal roller 11 when the peripheral portion of the pane 7 is passing between the upper horizontal roller 10 and the lower horizontal roller 11 for insertion through the pane insertion slit 4b into the hollow portion 4a, the peripheral portion of the pane 7 abuts against the upper horizontal roller 10 and the lower horizontal roller 11. As a result, the pressing member 4 is pushed up by the peripheral portion of the pane 7 through the upper horizontal roller 10 or is pushed down by the peripheral portion through the lower horizontal roller 11. The position of the pressing member 4 vertically shifts against the urging forces of the springs 9a, 9b, following the peripheral portion of the pane 7. Thus, the peripheral portion of the pane 7 can pass at a constant position without taking a wavy state with respect to the hollow portion 4a. Size deviations of the pane 7 and variations in the curved shape of the pane in a thickness direction thereof can be absorbed by deformation of the springs 9a, 9b, preventing the frame 8 unified to the pane 7 from having poor appearance.
In the method for preparing a windowpane with a resinous frame as stated earlier, the pressing member 4, the upper horizontal roller 10 and the lower horizontal roller 11 can move vertically as a unit. The upper horizontal roller 10 or the lower horizontal roller 11 can not move vertically independently of the pressing member 4. Under the circumstances, it is difficult to follow the pane 7 in sufficiently rapid fashion since the upper horizontal roller 10, the lower horizontal roller 11 and the pressing member 4 move vertically as the unit. If it is difficult for the pressing member 4 to make a follow-up motion in sufficiently rapid fashion during vertical movement, the shaped product 3, which is passing through the hollow portion 4a, is prevented from being forcibly fitted to the peripheral portion of the pane 7 at a certain equal pressure since the hollow portion 4a is also bad at a follow-up motion. As a result, variations in the degree of adhesion of the shaped product 3 to the pane 7 cause, preventing the frame 8 unified to the pane 7 from having good appearance.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for preparing a windowpane with a resinous frame, offering the following advantages:
A portion, through which a shaped product is passing, can make a rapid follow-up motion irrespectively of size deviations or variations in the curved shape of a pane.
A shaped product can be unified to a peripheral portion of a pane at a certain equal pressure without creating variations in the adhesion force.
A frame, which is unified to a pane, can have good appearance.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for preparing a windowpane with a frame, which comprises extruding a resinous material for a frame in a certain shape from a shaping die to form a shaped product for the frame, introducing a windowpane into a pressing member as well as forwarding the shaped product to the pressing member, the pressing member located at a position apart from the shaping die by a certain distance, and relatively moving the pressing member with respect to the windowpane along a peripheral portion of the windowpane so as to forcibly fit the shaped product to at least one surface of the peripheral portion of the windowpane, characterized in that it comprises providing a pressing roller in a floating frame located so as to be vertically movable with respect to the pressing member, providing a delimiting space, at least a portion of which is defined by the pressing roller, and unifying the frame to the peripheral portion of the windowpane by forcibly fitting the shaped product to the peripheral portion of the windowpane by means of the pressing roller while passing the shaped product and the windowpane through the delimiting space.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for preparing a windowpane with a frame, which comprises extruding a resinous material for a frame in a certain shape from a shaping die to form a shaped product for the frame, introducing a windowpane into a pressing member as well as forwarding the shaped product to the pressing member, the pressing member located at a position apart from the shaping die by a certain distance, and relatively moving the pressing member with respect to the windowpane along a peripheral portion of the windowpane so as to forcibly fit the shaped product to one surface of the peripheral portion of the windowpane, characterized in that it comprises providing a floating frame so as to be vertically movable with respect to the pressing member, providing a swingable frame in the floating frame so as to be swingable, providing a pressing roller in the swingable frame to provide a delimiting space, at least a portion of which is defined by the pressing roller, and unifying the frame to the peripheral portion of the windowpane by forcibly fitting the shaped product to the peripheral portion of the windowpane by the pressing roller while passing the shaped product and the windowpane through the delimiting space.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for preparing a windowpane with a frame, which comprises extruding a resinous material for a frame in a certain shape from a shaping die to form a shaped product for the frame, introducing a windowpane into a pressing member as well as forwarding the shaped product to the pressing member, the pressing member located at a position apart from the shaping die by a certain distance, and relatively moving the pressing member with respect to the windowpane along a peripheral portion of the windowpane so as to forcibly fit the shaped product to both surfaces of the peripheral portion of the windowpane, characterized in that it comprises providing a floating frame with a lower pressing roller for pressing a lower side of the shaped product and a vertical wall roller for pressing an edge surface of the shaped product remote from an opening direction of a windowpane biting portion of the shaped product toward an inner portion of the windowpane, the floating frame provided so as to be vertically movable with respect to the pressing member, and unifying the frame to the peripheral portion of the windowpane by forcibly fitting the shaped product to the peripheral portion of the windowpane by means of the lower pressing roller while passing the shaped product and the windowpane through a delimiting space, at least a portion of which is defined by the lower pressing roller and the vertical wall roller.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for preparing a windowpane with a frame, which comprises a shaping die for extruding a resinous material for a frame in a certain shape to form a shaped product for the frame, a pressing member provided at a position apart from the shaping die by a certain distance and receiving the is shaped product and a windowpane therein, and a driving device for relatively moving the pressing member with respect to the windowpane along a peripheral portion of the windowpane, and which forcibly fits the shaped product to at least one surface of the peripheral portion of the windowpane, characterized in that the pressing member includes a base frame, a floating frame provided inside the base frame through an elastic member so as to be vertically movable with respect to the base frame, and a pressing roller provided inside the floating roller, the pressing roller defining at least a portion of a delimiting space, through which the shaped product and the windowpane are passing, wherein the shaped product is forcibly fitted to the peripheral portion of the windowpane by the pressing roller to be unified to the peripheral portion of the windowpane.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for preparing a windowpane with a frame, which comprises a shaping die for extruding a resinous material for a frame in a certain shape to form a shaped product for the frame, a pressing member provided at a position apart from the shaping die by a certain distance and receiving the shaped product and a windowpane therein, and a driving device for relatively moving the pressing member with respect to the windowpane along a peripheral portion of the windowpane, and which forcibly fits the shaped product to at least one surface of the peripheral portion of the windowpane, characterized in that the pressing member includes a base frame, a floating frame provided inside the base frame through an elastic member so as to be vertically movable with respect to the base frame, a swingable frame swingably provided inside the floating frame, and a pressing roller provided inside the swingable frame, the pressing roller defining at least a portion of a delimiting space, through which the shaped product and the windowpane are passing, wherein the shaped product is forcibly fitted to the peripheral portion of the windowpane by the pressing roller to be unified to the peripheral portion of the windowpane.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for preparing a windowpane with a frame, which comprises a shaping die for extruding a resinous material for a frame in a certain shape to form a shaped product for the frame, a pressing member provided at a position apart from the shaping die by a certain distance and receiving the shaped product and a windowpane therein, and a driving device for relatively moving the pressing member with respect to the windowpane along a peripheral portion of the windowpane, and which forcibly fits the shaped product to at least one surface of the peripheral portion of the windowpane, characterized in that the pressing member includes a base frame, a floating frame provided inside the base frame through an elastic member so as to be vertically movable with respect to the base frame, and a lower pressing roller for pressing a lower side of the shaped product and a vertical wall roller for pressing an edge surface of the shaped product remote from an opening direction of a windowpane biting portion of the shaped product toward an inner portion of the windowpane, both rollers provided inside the floating frame and defining at least a portion of a delimiting space, through which the shaped product and the windowpane are passing, wherein the shaped product is forcibly fitted to the peripheral portion of the windowpane by the lower pressing roller and the vertical wall roller to be unified to the peripheral portion of the windowpane.
It is preferable that the shaped product is forcibly fitted and unified to the peripheral portion of the windowpane while pressing an edge surface of the pane against the floating frame directly or through the shaped product to provide the floating frame with a to-and-fro motion in a direction perpendicular to the travel direction of the shaped product as seen in a plan view in the preparation method and the apparatus for a windowpane with a resinous frame stated above. In this case, the shaped product can be forcibly fitted to the pane, using the edge surface of the pane as a reference.
In the first, second, fourth and fifth aspects of the present invention, the shaped product is forcibly fitted to the peripheral portion of the pane by the pressing roller. In the third and sixth aspects of the present invention, the shaped product is forcibly fitted to the peripheral portion of the pane by the lower pressing roller. In the first through sixth aspects of the present invention, the floating frame can move vertically when there is a size deviation or a variation in the curved shape of the pane. Specifically, it is meant that the floating frame is floating with respect to the base frame.
In accordance with the present invention, the floating frame can make a good follow-up motion rapidly in a floating state even if there is a size deviation or a variation in the curved shape of the pane. Thus, the shaped product can be unified to the peripheral portion of the pane at a constant equal pressure without causing a variation in the adhesion force. As a result, the adhesion force of the frame to the pane can be ensured. The unified frame can have good appearance since the frame is forcibly fitted to the pane at the equal pressure as a whole.